Signs of Menopause

Every woman in her forties or fifties is always aware of one important change that will take place in her body - menopause. This is a condition wherein the ovaries of the woman cease to release the egg due to a decreased release of hormones that regulate this action. Due to this, the uterine lining does not thicken and so, there is no shedding of the excess cells and blood build up in the uterus. Thus, in a woman that has reached menopause, there will not be any menstruation. Menopause is something that every woman that is reaching her mid-life must expect, although the average age of menopause may vary, woman to woman. It is best to be prepared and know what are the signs of menopause.

Early Signs of Menopause

• Hot flashes symptoms are commonly seen in women that are approaching menopause. The extremities may become cold and clammy due to the blood being directed to the center of the body due to vasodilation, leading to hot flashes.
• Women may find it difficult to sleep at night. This may or may not transcend into full blown insomnia, with or without night sweats.
• Needless to say, due to the hormonal changes in the woman's body, one of the first signs is irregular or absence of periods (amenorrhea). Menopause symptoms also include lighter flow or even intermittent very heavy periods with heavy flow of blood.
• Incidents of palpitations and menopause are not unheard of. Increased heartbeat, in the form of palpitations may be seen due to the vasomotor responses. Although these are usually sporadic in nature, if they are persistent, then it is best to visit a doctor and get the symptom evaluated.
• One of the most visible menopause signs is irritability in the woman. A woman may develop terrible mood swings - one moment she could be very happy and the next, she could be crying for absolutely no reason at all. In fact menopause mood swings are notorious and may be a clear give away of this condition. A woman may also have a very bad temper and may throw tantrums for no reason at all. Anxiety, depression, panic, etc. may also be seen. In fact, what is often labeled as midlife crisis in women may actually be nothing but signs of menopause.
• Loss of libido may or may not be experienced by all women. A decrease in the sex drive may be attributed to the low levels of circulating hormones in the body. A decreased sex drive may also be seen due to the woman experiencing pain during sexual intercourse. This could be due to a dry vagina, which may result in pain sensation during intercourse.
• Changes in mental status of women is also sometimes one of the symptoms of menopause onset. Depression, feeling of dread, irrational fear, difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion and fogging, etc. may or may not be one of the early symptoms of menopause.
• Certain physical changes that may occur in a woman's body include breast tenderness, sore nipples, loss of fullness of breasts, thinning of hair, etc. She may also develop a tendency to put on weight.
• One of the 34 menopause symptoms include a slight change in the body odor.
• Bladder problems may develop in women. There may be slight urinary incontinence, like there may be slight urine leakage on sneezing or coughing (stress incontinence).

Believe it or not, but there is something known as menopause in men, or andropause and the menopause signs in men include a decrease in energy levels, reduced sex drive, weak erection, etc. In the end, one needs to understand that this is nothing but a phase of life that everyone passes. So unless the menopause signs become very severe or unbearable, there is no need for alarm.